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Hydrow vs Ergatta
Row, row, row your boat, gently down the… basement? With home gyms becoming increasingly popular, it’s no wonder that there’s a variety of machines available to outfit your personal temple of steel.
Hydrow and Ergatta, as you might gather from their names, are keen to get one of their rowers into your home. But who will cross the finish line first? Read the rest of our Hydrow vs Ergatta review to find out.
About Hydrow
Hydrow is the brainchild of a former U.S. National rowing team coach, so you know that every decision the company makes is backed by years of real-life rowing experience.
They want to instill all the health benefits of real-life rowing into a fitness machine. Thus, they designed the Hydrow Rower to provide the closest possible experience to rowing on water.
Their team is stacked with World Champions, U.S. National Champions, and Olympians, meaning that the company’s aims to provide the truest-to-life rowing experience available is more than just a pie-in-the-sky dream.
About Ergatta
Ergatta is a company that believes that providing customers with convenient and effective fitness opportunities can be a life-changing experience. They thoughtfully integrate modern sensibilities with one of the most sustainable forms of fitness, rowing.
The New York-based brand recognizes that free time is a luxury not everyone has access to, yet they’re aware that health is a right. Therefore, they want to motivate people to engage in fun and rewarding exercise through their rowing machines.
If David Fincher’s 2010 film The Social Network taught us anything, it’s that rowing is, in fact, cool. You probably feel the same way, hence why you’re reading our Hydrow vs Ergatta review.
If you’re looking to start rowing from home, read through the rest of this article to find out how the two aforementioned brands stack up against one another.
You’ll learn about each company’s goals, their prices, their customer reception, and more so that you can make the best decision about where to spend your hard-earned cash.
What to Consider
You’d pretty much be splitting hairs by comparing Ergatta and Hydrow’s available products. Both companies are based around their titular rowing machines and their attached membership programs that provide access to fitness classes, workouts, and user metrics.
Both companies share similar target audiences, mostly because of how forgiving rowing is as an exercise. It’s a low-impact, high-reward workout that can improve cardiovascular performance and muscular endurance without placing too much stress on the joints.
These two brands host a huge array of courses that should satisfy any fitness enthusiast, from those seeking a leisurely paddle across the lake to those trying to rip the oars off of their imagined rowboat.
Both Hydrow and Ergatta boast easy installation, but to make the process simpler they also provide the option for customers to have the delivery men assemble the products. Similarly, Hydrow and Ergatta’s frames are both covered by five-year warranty plans.
In terms of accessibility, our review staff located some Hydrow products on Amazon as well as the company’s website, but we were only able to find Ergatta products available for purchase through Ergatta’s site.
Hydrow Rower vs The Ergatta Rower Review
If the Vikings heard about either the Hydrow Rower or the Ergatta Rower before they set sail on their journey to raid and pillage Western Europe then they would have spat on their faerings. That’s how future-forward both of these products are.
But this section of our Hydrow vs Ergatta review isn’t about heaping the same praise on both items. You’ll learn what each rowing machine offers and what separates them from one another.
First up is the Hydrow Rower. This smooth machine looks like it came straight out of the stainless white-walled dystopia of the first three Star Wars movies. That design choice allows this rower to support users that weigh up to 375 lbs despite the fact that the machine weighs less than half of that.
It features a 22” HD screen that sits atop its aluminum and steel frame. This frame supports an outer polymer body, with the three materials combining to make a rowing machine that’s quiet and flush.
The Hydrow Rower also has Bluetooth connectivity features so it can link up to your headphones, speakers, and the Strava app.
Despite its similar properties, the Ergatta Rower is no pushover. It can sustain users who total up to 500lbs and measure as tall as 6’6” with its slight 103lb frame. In fact, the biggest advantage of this rowing machine may be how easy it is to stow it and hide it away when not in use.
It’s light enough to move it around on the wheels attached to the rear of its frame. It can be stored upright to free up tons of space when it’s not in use.
When it is in use, the competition had better watch out. The Ergatta Rower is made from American-sourced cherry wood, giving it a rustic touch. It also includes a 17.3” HD touchscreen display and Bluetooth connectivity to measure your heartbeat.
The Hydrow Rower appears to have more going for it in terms of its proximity to real-world rowing, but the Ergatta Rower looks to provide a competitive workout experience of its own.
Hydrow Launch Package vs Ergatta Waterrover Upgrade Package Review
Both the Hydrow Launch Package and the Ergatta Waterrover Upgrade Package look to spoil their customers like a distant ex-husband trying to repair his relationship with his children through exuberant holiday gifts. The differentiating factor is that there’s no malice underlying either of these bountiful bundles.
We’ll compare the packages in this Hydrow vs Ergatta review to see which one packs more goodies into its stocking.
The Hydrow Launch Package has nearly everything you need to start rowing from the second the bundle reaches your doorstep. It includes 5 crucial elements:
- Hydrow Rower
- Hydrow Machine Mat
- Hydrow Polar Verity Sense Heart Rate Monitor
- Jaybird Vista Wireless Headphones
- Hydrow Performance Foam Roller
And by “nearly everything,” we mean that this package also includes free shipping (potentially saving you money that you could put towards the company’s home installation service) and a one-year warranty.
The only thing it doesn’t include is a Hydrow membership, which is the last hurdle you’ll have to hop over.
Whereas the Hydrow Launch Package looks to provide its buyers with an overabundance of content, the Ergatta Waterrover Upgrade Package is a single item that can improve your Ergatta experience.
This item transforms the Ergatta Rower from a standard rowing machine into a fully-fledged water rowing device, making it that much closer to rowing on actual water. It’s available in plenty of wood options like driftwood, maple, oak, ash, and walnut.
These packages deliver totally different experiences so how much they appeal to you lies in what you are seeking from them. Hydrow’s package gives you everything but the kitchen sink, whereas Ergatta can (metaphorically) turn your kitchen sink into an authentic rowing machine.
Hydrow vs Ergatta: Workouts
Do you want to know why most people never gloat about their dusty Bowflex machines? It’s because, regardless of the device’s quality, there aren’t any solid workouts available. Most people either grow bored with them or soon realize that they would rather invest the time and effort in a gym membership.
However, that doesn’t seem to be the case with either Hydrow or Ergatta’s workouts. This portion of our Hydrow vs Ergatta review will touch upon whether each company’s offered workouts can motivate you to stick to a solid rowing routine, or if you’ll be back to treading water in the boredom kiddie pool.
Hydrow’s workout variety encompasses a few different options that each suit a different need. They offer live rowing classes led by world-class athletes like Dani Hansen, Aquil Abdullah, and Peter Donohue. However, if the live class schedule doesn’t align with yours, you can access any of the workouts on-demand.
They offer a few interesting alternatives to guided rowing too. Firstly, they’ve designed self-guided, more relaxing rowing courses where you traverse serene waterways at your pace.
They also have a bevy of pilates, yoga, and strength training courses that you can use if you ever want to switch up your fitness routine.
All of these are emboldened by the fact that a Hydrow membership connects you with other Hydrow members. The social aspect can be motivating to some, as they can compare their progress with others and form digital connections with other health-minded people.
On the other side of the coin, Ergatta’s workouts seem just as capable of getting your blood pumping. They come in four different varieties:
- Push programs: workouts in an escalating series of difficulties that build towards a final goal
- Interval workouts: high-intensity-interval training and endurance workouts
- Race workouts: live races that pit you head-to-head against other Ergatta users
- Open & scenic row: time or distance-based courses that are self-guided
All of these workouts are designed around Ergatta’s gaming-derived philosophy that incentivizes users to continue working out. The courses use gaming concepts like achievements and high scores to push users to better themselves.
Additionally, the Ergatta membership allows the machine to constantly monitor your progress so that it can provide you with accurate measurements and tailor future workouts to your strengths and weaknesses.
Both Ergatta and Hydrow then offer innovative improvements on rowing’s already low-risk, high-reward exercise. Hydrow’s is based around live classes whereas Ergatta’s centers around turning fitness into a game.
Hydrow vs Ergatta: Quality
Poor product quality is the reason why some of the writers behind this Hydrow vs Ergatta review have trust issues.
Let’s examine whether these companies are doing anything to alleviate that stress, or if they’re just going to send us (and, by proxy, you) down a deeper hole of thin relationships held together by twine.
The Hydrow Rower is built to be as dependable as it is silent. Its body is a combination of aluminum, steel, and polymer. These three materials combine to provide a smooth rowing experience.
Meanwhile, the Ergatta Rower is manufactured in the United States from locally sourced cherrywood. This lessens their carbon footprint since they don’t need to import overseas products and it allows them to give back to local businesses.
In terms of quality, you’re looking at a distinction between a smooth experience and a more conscientious approach.
Hydrow vs Ergatta: Price & Value
This segment of our Hydrow vs Ergatta review will give you a glimpse at each brand’s product price range. We’ll also look into how that price represents the product’s value accurately, or whether it seems a bit steep for what it’s worth.
The Hydrow Rower normally retails for $2,295, though it’s currently on sale for $1,995 as per the company’s Boxing Week sales event. This cost doesn’t include the monthly membership fee, which sits at $38.
However, the rower features some boast-worthy highlights like an adjustable footbed, a high-powered motor, a comfortable-as-a-cloud seat, and a smooth dragging system.
The brand’s Hydrow Launch Package is available right now for $2,265 (a $400 discount from its normal $2,865 price) and includes the following:
- Hydrow Rower
- Hydrow Machine Mat
- Hydrow Polar Verity Sense Heart Rate Monitor
- Jaybird Vista Wireless Headphones
- Hydrow Performance Foam Roller
And those are just the physical components included in this bundle. You’ll also receive free product shipping and a one-year warranty. Though, once again, the membership required to activate the Hydrow Rower is sold separately.
These prices aren’t isolated as they must contend with what Ergatta offers their customers. The Ergatta Rower can be yours for $2,199 and the Ergatta Waterrover Upgrade Package comes in at $549. Much like their competition, neither purchase includes the monthly membership fee which, in Ergatta’s case, cost $29.
The only direction comparison we can make between the prices is between the two rowing machines as they are the most similar offerings. They both cost around the same price, although Hydrow’s is currently cheaper by a few hundred dollars. It’s a shame that neither company packages their membership fee into any of their items.
With that being said, Ergatta pulls ahead in that race as their membership is almost $10 more affordable than Hydrow’s, which can add up over time.
Hydrow vs Ergatta: What Do Customers Think?
Everyone loves gossip. Never trust anyone who says that they hate drama; what they’re really saying is that they hate when other people stick their noses into their business, but love jamming their nostrils where they don’t belong.
And where can you find the juiciest sources of gossip? In the customer reviews sections. That’s why this segment of our Hydrow vs Ergatta review will cover what consumers have said about both companies.
You’ll learn what each brand does right and where they’ve led customers astray… if they even have stooped that low.
Hydrow will be the first brand in the hot seat because it seems like they’re proud of their customer feedback. They have an entire portion of their website dedicated to covering what consumers think about their products.
It’s safe to assume that most customers on the Hydrow website are happy with their purchases. Over 7,400 customers came together to give the brand an overall score of 4.7/5 stars.
However, it’s not enough to give you the stars and expect you to infer what people loved about Hydrow. We’re here to elucidate, not test you on your inferring skills. So we’ll run through a few customer testimonials that highlight the most frequently mentioned benefits:
- “The machine arrived in a very short time, was easy to set up, and is sleek! It’s quiet and the workouts are set up nicely for an old out of shape beginner like me.”
- “I absolutely LOVE my Hydrow! It is the best full body workout. A must have for anyone that loves a good workout, but doesn’t have a ton of time to be in the gym. I can’t say enough about how happy I am that we made the decision to get one!”
- “I have used rowing machines in Gyms for years and liked the ease of use and the lack of trauma to my joints. With the interactive screen it really makes it enjoyable to go for a row with or without and instructor.”
Those three customer statements show that people adored Hydrow’s speedy delivery service, it’s easy assembly and installation, and the high quality of workouts.
Some fans didn’t like how they had to sit through the easy rowing workouts before they gained access to the tougher regimens. However, we’d like to point out that purchasers have the option of rowing at their own pace without the use of a set workout.
You probably want to know what people said about Hydrow on other websites too. That way you can earn a more full scope of what you’d be getting into by purchasing one of their goods.
The Hydrow Connected Rower holds a 4.8/5 stars average score from over 410 pieces of customer feedback on Best Buy’s website. In fact, over 95% of reviews would recommend the product to their friends.
The product gained similarly high praise on Amazon. There, over 45 customers gave the product an aggregate score of 4.4/5 stars. Finally, people loved Hydrow over on Trustpilot, as the over 7,000 reviews granted the brand a 4.7/5 stars average score.
It appears that Hydrow passed the customer vibe check. In fact, they went to the doctor, ran the blood tests, underwent an ultrasound, and the results showed that Hydrow was the bringer of good vibes for most customers.
That opens up the chance for Ergatta to undergo the scrutiny necessary to determine whether their customers hold them as highly as the brand holds itself.
In short, they do. Ergatta’s average customer score, tallied from more than 450 pieces of customer feedback, is a marvelous 5/5 stars. All of the forthcoming testimonials we’ve decided to include come from Ergatta’s own website, and each one highlights a distinct advantage of the product:
- “This is a super badass piece of awesomeness that holds you accountable and pushes you to keep getting progressively better and better through actual metrics, games, and races. I lost 20 lbs in my first 30 days doing 45 minutes of Rowing per day!”
- “If you are someone who loves sports, gaming, competition and not so much the class/instructor format this rower is for you! The ERGATTA experience really speaks to my personality and motivates me to come back for more each day. I did the self setup with the ERGATTA. The setup was easy and intuitive.”
- “It’s very high quality, looks beautiful in my house, and most importantly serves up tons of different workouts to keep me challenged and engaged.”
Ergatta’s unique benefits become crystal clear from those three telling customer reviews. Fans loved how the device’s interface turned fitness into a game, how that approach motivated them to push themselves harder, and the huge selection of workouts to keep things interesting.
Our Hydrow vs Ergatta review writers weren’t able to uncover any consistent customer complaints in a deep library of real-world feedback either. The few negative reviews each touched on different aspects that it seems these issues occurred on a case-by-case basis.
We’ll put a bow on this section of our review by saying that both companies earned healthy amounts of customer praise. They seemed to deliver exactly what customers were looking for – satisfying home workouts, great feedback, and easy installation – so there’s no clear winner in this category. We’ll give them both a gold medal.
Hydrow vs Ergatta: Promotions & Discounts
Hydrow has a nice financing payment scheme that starts as low as $56 a month. What our Hydrow vs Ergatta review writers like even more about this financing option is that the brand doesn’t require a down payment. Additionally, that financing plan has 0% APR.
Ergatta isn’t a company to be outshined by their competitors, as evidenced by their own seasonal savings. All orders placed before January 22, 2022, will receive an extra 60-day risk-free trial.
They, much like Hydrow, also feature a financing option that makes their products more affordable in the short term. Their financing plans begin at $62 per month and are subject to 0% APR as well as requiring as little as a $0 down payment.
Thus, while Hydrow currently offers more tantalizing sales options with their Boxing Week sales, both brands give back to their customer bases through their affordable financing alternative payment schemes.
Hydrow vs Ergatta: Shipping & Returns
It doesn’t matter how good a product is if you can’t get your hands on it. That’s why the NFT market has turned into a joke. With that being said, this section of our Hydrow vs Ergatta review will examine how each brand gets their items into your pre-calloused hands.
Here’s some bad news for all those who live outside of the United States, Hydrow cannot deliver to your location. They only ship to the lower 48 United States. Also, they do not offer any expedited shipping options.
That’s a bummer, but worse things have happened to better people. One positive takeaway is that you can pay a small fee to have the Hydrow delivery men assemble your purchase in your home.
All Hydrow orders take around 2 to 3 weeks to reach their destination. Shipping charges are calculated at product checkout.
But this portion isn’t all about shipping, it’s also about returns.
You’ll only have 14 days to apply for a return on your Hydrow purchase, but that comes with a few catches:
- The company will not refund any payments related to shipping, delivery, or installation
- All returns are subject to a $250 fee
- Hydrow can refuse any return requests based on the state of the returned item
Those all sound strict, but you have to remember that these are large, heavy, intricate pieces of exercise equipment. Returning them isn’t as simple as returning your ex-wife’s diamond engagement ring.
Speaking of exes and competition, what does Ergatta have in store with regards to their shipping and returns policies?
They, much like Hydrow, only ship to the United States. Deliveries take around 2 to 4 weeks to reach their destinations after you’ve purchased your Ergatta product.
All deliveries incur a $199 fee, but that fee covers more than just shipping the item. It also includes the cost of assembly and installation courtesy of the shipping company.
However, you can save $100 by electing to assemble the Ergatta Rower yourself. Just let the company know your plan and they’ll shave that amount off of your delivery fee.
Since we already mentioned that they’re currently offering an extended 60-day free trial for their New Years’ promotion, we won’t cover that much more. What we’ll cover instead is Ergatta’s standard return policy.
The brand allows customers up to 30 days to return their Ergatta purchase so long as the product has not been damaged in any way, shape, or form.
It’s a bit disappointing that neither Hydrow nor Ergatta ship outside of the United States, but both companies make big toys for big boys, so we’re not too surprised.
And while neither of their return policies is what we’d deem exceptional, it’s nice that they both offer an option for customers to earn some of their money back if they’re unsatisfied with their purchases.
Who Will You Shop With?
This comparison is a tight race between two excellent brands. There isn’t much to suggest that you’d be making a mistake by choosing one over the other. Actually, the best decision might be for you to buy both a Hydrow Rower and an Ergatta Rower.
We’re joking, but the main difference seems to be how you’d like your workouts to be structured. Do you want them to be guided by professionals, like Hydrow’s, or turned into game-like experiences, like Ergatta’s? That’s the largest deciding factor as to which brand you should trust.
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